Handicap Accessible Vehicles in General
How much do you really know about the many kinds of handicap accessible vehicles that are available for helping people with disabilities to get from A to B?
Would you like to know a bit more about them and how they could possibly help to improve your life and widen your outlook?
In this article I am taking an overview look at what is available for transporting people with disabilities to and from their homes to places they need to go.
This includes those places that are further afield than would be possible by using a mobility scooter or being pushed (or self-propelling) in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair Accessible Vans
I have covered these vehicles in other posts on this site, but they are probably one of the more popular methods of personal transportation in this field.
they are handy for transporting a single person or even several if they are big enough and can be economical enough to make them a versatile and useful means of getting around.
In a more recent article, I take a look at handicap vans sale options in that post if you would like to check it out.
Accessible Cars
The average car is often too small or lacking in internal space for making them viable as handicap vehicles, although larger cars can be customized for this purpose.
Regular compact sedans are often too, well, compact for lending themselves to installing a motorized ramp.
That being said, many people have no choice but to make do with their car to transport a family member with mobility issues around the place where there is no affordable alternative. Some larger cars, such as MPVs are better suited to this and can accept mechanical ramps into side doors or even the rear door as a customization.
Accessible RVs
A novel transportation option especially for vacationing is a customized RV.
This is usually a very expensive option, but if you can afford it, a handicap RV is a magnificent way to enjoy a freedom style vacation on the open road and go wherever you choose.
There are a few companies that provide handicap RV rentals which can be a lot more economical than buying your own, although the number of outlets across the country has been dwindling over the last few years. It means sourcing them is tougher but not impossible to a resourceful person!
Accessible Public Transport
getting around using public transport used to be a nightmare for a wheelchair user, but these days things have gotten a lot better.
Latest model buses have low entry floors with extendible ramps to make it easy for a wheelchair user to get on and off with wider aisles for getting around inside more easily.
Modern trains also have better facilities for people with disabilities including easy access doors with ramps that extend onto the platform to make it easy for a wheelchair user to get on and off. Lower call buttons and better situated grab rails all make for a more comfortable and simplified traveling process.
Personal Transportation
Getting right down to the personal level, there are of course those handy electric motorized single person mobility scooters that are perfect for people with physical disabilities and mobility issues to get around on.
These small vehicles can be used on sidewalks and in certain cases on public roads (local by-laws apply) and are great for going to the local shops or visiting friends of family who live close by.
You can read more about electric mobility scooters by following that link.
All in all, the kind of accessible vehicle you decide you want to use is down to your personal needs and preferences. If you already have one kind of vehicle and are considering upgrading either to something larger or to a newer, more feature rich version, there are many options available to you these days.
Feel free to leave a comment on this post if you have any questions you need help with or any observations you may have. Thanks!
Originally posted: February 20,2014
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